Real Whitby - A Community Website For You the Community

The Closure Of The Real Whitby Facebook Group.

The Closing Process

After several years of running the Real Whitby Facebook Group I recently took the decision to close the group down. People may have noticed that some members names are disappearing from the group. People should not take this personally.

The process of closing any Facebook Group involves an Admin deleting every last member of the group before deleting himself last. This is a long and laboured task, especially when you had 15,000 members. There is no “Delete Group” Button, it has to be done manually and one member at a time.

To clarify a few issues that seem to have arisen :

I started deleting names by going down the first page of posts and deleting members in terms of those who had made the most recent posts. It seems easier than going through the members list, and serves the purpose of removing recent posts first, which hopefully will show people the group is now shut. If your name was one of the first to go, that wasnt personal, it was because you were one of the most recent posters, nothing more complex or sinister than that.

My Reasons For Closing

Over the years the group seems to have become more and more difficult to control. If you put rules in place, people seem to dislike them, challenge them and try to cause trouble.

On too many occasions I have found myself in the middle of peoples personal disputes, almost like teacher in the school yard splitting up fights, and of course when you split up one, another breaks out in the far corner of the playground.

One night, whilst visiting a friend I received a text about issues on Real Whitby Group. Despite explaining I was visiting a friend and not active online, that person continued to bombard my phone with texts all night. I found this a total lack of respect for me and my privacy. It was an intrusion into my life and one I wasn’t willing to accept. I removed the person from my contacts in a bid to stop them hassling me, at which point they started a campaign of hate and harassment against me. Despite, all of this I continued with the group.

This was something I found difficult to manage, and in a large part I blame Facebook and their lack of Admin and Moderation provision which meant it was difficult to deal with anyone hell bent on causing trouble.

Over the months and years this has become a common theme, alongside numerous verbal attacks online and unwanted texts and verbal abuse in Whitby. Earlier this year I took the decision to leave the group, which I did sometime around July. Even then I was being harassed in town about the group, on one occasion I had to have the Police involved to stop a young man from following me about and threatening to smash my Camera.

Id just had enough and decided to focus hard on making a success of my new photography business. Thats a massive task in itself. Im sure anyone self employed will tell you they never get a day off and they can often work 12 hours a day. But free from Real Whitby my life was much nicer, less stress, and an ability to focus on me and where I was going.

More recently people started emailing me and messaging me about the group. Despite telling people I was no longer involved, they still saw it as my group and wanted me to intervene in their silly arguments. Recently I looked in and found a whole topic where people were arguing over one of my photographs, was it real, was it not real, was it edited, was it not edited. In all honesty who cares. If you dont like something move on. On another post a lady had actually stolen some of mine and Ian Davies photographs, cut off the watermarks and was presenting them as her own. Any artist will tell you how massively infuriating that is.

Enough was enough. It appears I created a monster. Through the years its been fun at times, but I can honestly say that for 90% of the time it has been nothing but hassle. So, after a lot of thought, I took the decision to close it.

Even in closure it is causing problems with people making assumptions about me closing it in some sort of personal attack on them.

The closure of Real Whitby Facebook Group was not a decision taken lightly, It was not a decision taken to stop anyones business aspirations or to stop them advertising their business online.

If I can ask one thing, I would ask that people respect my decision and respect my privacy. Unless you are a close personal friend then please do not talk to me or ask about the group, I wish to remove it from my mind completely so I can focus on the important things in life : My Children, My Mother, My friends, And My Business. Its quite sad that people don’t have the creative ability to master their own Social Media Channels and not have to rely on my creations to promote themselves.

Thankyou for reading, and thankyou for being part of what was occasionally a fun group to be the owner of.

19 Comments

I’m sorry that you are closing the group, which I found a useful source of local information and help. But having read your reasons, I am a lot more sorry that you’ve had all this hassle. Best wishes with your photography business, and thank you for trying to provide a platform for news and debate about our community.

It’s such a shame that people can’t see what these sites are for I have had a lot of pleasure being part of your group but can understand why you want out .
Good luck with all your future plans 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

You have had the patience of a saint Glenn and made me laugh more than once. There should be only one rule of community groups and that is “Don’t be a dick”. Unfortunately Dickish behaviour seems to prevail in groups of all sizes.

Thank you and the other members of admin for your time that you have given so freely, your commitment to promoting Whitby and current local events and for all the smiles I have had since becoming a member. I will miss it on my newsfeed. Best wishes for the future.

Its definitely been an experience Glenn, If nothing else. We all had a laugh helping you run it and I’ve made a few new friends through the admin side of it, I’m now enjoying the down time and spending my time posting crap on my own wall! Anyway lets have a pint with the others at some point and a giggly debrief and maybe a pie!

Hi Tony, I had actually left the group three months ago, and still I was being slagged off in there and my business attacked. Thats not the fault of the admin who were doing there best. But It showed me my decision to leave was a good one, and since I left I never missed it once. Life was much easier.

That convinced me it had to go. There is no way I would put it in someone elses hands. If my own appointed admin cant keep the wankers out then what chance anyone else, especially someone who may not be as loyal as the team I had appointment myself.

if someone wants to create a group of their own and slag me off then at least i can block them and it. But it wont ever be happening in one I personally created.

Sadly the idiots won a battle. There will be other groups and I will be modding them with extreme vigilance.

Thanks Glenn for all your hard work and effort p. I have enjoyed the group and sadly understand why. I wish you all the success you deserve. Hope things work out. Have enjoyed the information and discussions.

Hello Glenn thank you for all your photos on real Whitby I have read your reasons to close the group I’m sad to see it go but it’s not worth the hassle for you you are a kind and good man thank you again for great memories photographs 🙂 x

Such a shame the way some people behave. I just ignore the rubbish but l love the beautiful pictures and useful stuff. Again sorry you have had to deal with the rubbish in your day to day life after all your effort and hard work. Enjoy the peace. I will follow your site as l like the pictures. Thanks for all your work.

You shouldn’t have to explain yourself Glenn but you did a bloody good job of it. Like everyone I fully understand your reasons and can’t imagine the toll this responsibility and almost celebrity status must’ve had on your life. I’m honoured to know Whitby and I’m honoured to know you. Keep up the good work!
Best wishes from me and that mother of mine!

Sorry to hear you’ve had such a bad time with it. As a frequent visitor 8-10 times per year for the last 15 years I loved the page. Sending lots of positive thoughts and lovely wishes your way in your new venture.

Dear Glenn and Real Whitby,
I am so sorry for what you have faced when you are working to help strangers! Social media has its pros and cons…..
people who want to help the public with no financial gain suffer…
only people who are in the business of making money benefit from the free PR.

I love your photos and am sad to miss the information that you provided. I wish I knew how to find that information on my own…
i appreciate you. my website has no www or com… it is just
seriouslyscarborough.uk
cashmerita